Tea isn’t just about drinking…it’s an adventure!

Yerba Mate

Recently, the hubby and I had dinner with a couple he knows from work. During the course of the evening, to my husband’s chagrin, we managed to have a great discussion about tea. It was then that I learned about Yerba Mate, the drink of Argentina. I never cease to be amazed by the universal nature of tea – regardless of the country, culture, or tea plants native to the country there is always a ceremonial tea drink.

About a week later, Mike brought home from work a huge baggy full of Yerba Mate, a traditional drinking gourd (cuia), and bombilla (a straw with a strainer on the end). Additionally, included in my care package was a postcard published by Chronicle Books summarizing Mate origins, the Mate ceremony and Mate Preparation instructions. Imagine my excitement.

Flavor: On its face, everything about Yerba Mate is simplistic – the composition, aroma, visual appearance. Everything that is, but the flavor. Yerba Mate has a surprisingly robust flavor that I am floundering to adequately describe. After preparing the Yerba Mate in the the traditional gourd, I must admit, I found this indigenous South American drink to be very vegetal and quite bitter. After adding a teaspoon of sugar, the Yerba Mate was palatable. During the second infusion, the bitterness began to subside. During the second through eighth infusions, the Yerba Mate was truly delicious only requiring minimal amounts of sugar thereafter. According to the brewing instructions, I could have brewed seven to twelve more times. I only stopped because I felt “tea-logged”.

Liquor:A bright green unlike any other tea I have ever seen.

Brewing Time:I have been unable to find consensus on brewing techniques for Yerba Mate. According to my information there is no specified brewing time as the gourd (filled with Yerba Mate to the half point) is filled with cold water first, sealing in the nutrients and simultaneously causing the Yerba Mate to swell. The mixture is followed by hot not boiling water and drunk until empty. However, after searching several tea websites to purchase more Yerba Mate, I discovered a variety of brewing instructions.

Special Note: Mate is the national drink of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil where it is consumed 6 to 1 over coffee. With 24 vitamins and minerals, 15 amino acids, numerous antioxidants and naturally occurring caffeine, Yerba Mate is considered natures most balanced stimulant (Jansdotter, 2004).

Yesterday after drinking another seven or eight gourds full of Yerba Mate, I am in need of more. Last night I placed an order for several new teas, including Yerba Mate, from Dragonwater. I cannot wait to compare to the Yerba Mate I have recently been drinking. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!

Hi there Tea lover. Cool blog you have here. I just bookmarked it for future reading. I am a Yerba Mate Nut! LOVE the stuff. Been drinking it religiously for the past 7 years. Such a great tea!!! I have a nice set of step by step photos in regards to preparation that you and or your visitors might find useful. YerbaMateDrinker I have an interesting story on there about how I was introduced to Yerba Mate. Happy Times and EnJoY the tea! Ciao… Anthony

I get all my Yerba from Gauchourmet but I DO wish local stores had this stuff on the shelves because buying online I’m always paying for shipping. The good news is that Yerba Mate is getting more popular in U.S. so soon maybe I will this available. Rosamonte Especial Yerba is my absolute favorite! 🙂 Such a great tea!

Thanks for sharing. I cannot wait to visit the site you provided. I have not tried the Yerba Mate I ordered from Dragonwater. I recently heard about My Mate World. You should check them out and let me know what you think http://mymateworld.com.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. I checked out your site – loved your Yerba Mate Story. I also went the the site where you order your Yerba Mate. When I have more time I would like to take a look at all of their products.

Great blog. I am a huge Yerba fan and enjoyed getting to read about your recent discovery. I am trying to help spread the word about our new company, phix (www.phix.com), that has launched the first yerba mate based drink powder. It provides all the health and energy benefits of mate in a portable ready to go powder. I’d love to send you some, so if you’re interested in trying it please email me your mailing address and I’ll put some in the mail to you. Thanks, Will

I’ve greatly enjoyed looking through your website. I have a yerba mate retail website and on my site, I have many related subjects to the ones on your site. I would like to know if you could link us to your site and if you would like to be linked to our site as well? Please visit us at myteaco.com and let us know. Looking to hear from you.